No Princess Diaries for Gavi! Barcelona star chooses Ana Pelayo over royal romance — meet his new leading lady
Barcelona star Gavi might be one of football's brightest young talents, but it's his girlfriend, Ana Pelayo, who's been grabbing all the attention lately. The couple soft-launched their romance in true Gen Z fashion — by going viral during a post-match celebration — and fans have been hooked ever since.
Interestingly, Gavi's public romance with Ana comes just months after rumours that the 20-year-old politely turned down a royal matchmaking attempt involving Princess Leonor. Now, fans are convinced the midfielder chose love in the stands over love in the palace. So, who exactly is Ana Pelayo? Here's everything we know.
Gavi seals the LaLiga season with a new romance with Ana Pelayo
Barcelona celebrated their LaLiga Trophy win on Sunday, capping off an amazing 2024-2025 season. With the title already in the bag, Gavi soaked in the moment, not just with teammates, but with his girlfriend Ana Pelayo.
The couple was seen strolling across the pitch, exchanging affectionate hugs, and even linking fingers in clips that quickly went viral on social media. In several videos, he was also seen introducing her to his teammates. While the cameras captured silverware and confetti, the internet zeroed in on the couple's chemistry.
Our warrior Gavi with his girlfriend ❤️pic.twitter.com/iUhegpmZVS
This is so cute 🥰Gavi is this our wife 🌚 pic.twitter.com/cYhiKIbKNp
Gavi and his girlfriend Ana Pelayo Princess Leonor must be fuming by now 😂 pic.twitter.com/MpCYvGbPXn
Fans couldn't help but connect the dots — especially given the timing of this public appearance, which came right as royal romance rumours were heating up again.
Who is Ana Pelayo, the girl by Gavi's side?
Ana Pelayo is a 22-year-old student and influencer from Seville (Spain) who's been quietly turning into a public figure thanks to her relationship with Gavi. She reportedly met the footballer through his sister Aurora, and last year posted a photo with Gavi's mom and sister, a post that first sparked dating rumours.
The footballer and the influencer follow each other on Instagram, and Ana is also followed by several members of Gavi's family.
As of now, Ana has more than 270,000 Instagram followers. Her feed is full of clean girl aesthetics, stylish looks, travel snapshots, and foodie content (especially sushi). She leans into the minimalist fashion trend and gives off the vibe of someone who's fashionable without trying too hard.
Her documented travels to London and Paris, along with her beach-side bikini posts, prove she's someone who loves life's aesthetic pleasures but keeps her personal life relatively private.
Did Gavi reject Princess Leonor's royal crush?
Spain's EURO 2024 victory over England was a historic moment, but what followed stirred just as much conversation. As the national team was welcomed to Zarzuela Palace by King Felipe VI, one short moment caught everyone's attention: a brief handshake between Gavi and Princess Leonor. Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, smiled at Gavi, and the exchange instantly reignited long-standing rumors of her crush on the footballer.
gavi'nin cv- prensesi kariyer için reddetmesi- büyükannesinin cruyff'un ilk manitası olması- pique'nin shakira'yı aldattığı kişinin gavi'nin annesi olması https://t.co/UBIFVxxocC pic.twitter.com/b8jK66dn4G
This wasn't the first time the talk surfaced. Back during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, King Felipe reportedly asked Gavi to sign a youth-sized jersey, which many speculated was for Leonor. Some outlets even claimed she had Gavi's photos on her school folder at Atlantic College in Wales.
During the World Cup, the King of Spain met with Gavi to get a signed shirt for Princess LeonorSpanish newspapers reported that the princess is a Gavi fanatic, to the point of having a notebook with photos of him on the coverGavi was nicknamed prince at the time pic.twitter.com/yR30G4vA4p
Now, reports suggest the King once again asked Gavi for a personalized gift for his daughter — and this time, the answer was a clear no. Now, many believe Gavi turned down any suggestion of a romantic gesture, wanting to focus on his football career and girlfriend Ana.
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